Location in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Coordinates: 21°25'N 39°49'E? / ?21.417, 39.817 Province Makkah Government  - Mayor Usama Al-Barr Area  - City 26 km?  (10 sq mi) Elevation 277 m (909 ft) Population (2004)  - City 1,294,168 Mecca IPA: ['m?k?] or Makkah IPA: ['m?k?] (in full: Makkah al-Mukarramah IPA: [(Arabic) m?k??(t) ?lm?kar?am?]; Arabic: ??? ???????) is an Islamic holy city in Saudi Arabia's Makkah province, in the historic Hejaz region. It has a population of 1,294,167 (2004 census). The city is located 73 kilometres (45 miles) inland from Jeddah, in the narrow sandy Valley of Abraham, 277 metres (909 ft)[citation needed] above sea level. It is located 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the Red Sea. The city is revered by Muslims for containing the holiest site of Islam, the Masjid al-Haram. A pilgrimage to Mecca during the week of the Hajj is considered one of the Pillars of Islam, a sacred duty that is required of all able-bodied Muslims who can afford to go, at least once in their lifetime. People of other faiths are forbidden from entering the city. The English word mecca (uncapitalized), meaning "a place to which many people are attracted" [1] is derived from Mecca.